She said of Madonna: "She's the most ambitious person I know. Very driven.

"The hardest worker I've ever seen. But she does everything with a pure intention."

Paltrow has made two films produced by Allen's mother, Alison Owen.

She said of 23-year-old Allen and the negative publicity she receives: "Lily is not a women yet.

"She'll be OK because she's a smart girl, and very talented.

"But this is a big test to get when you're her age. But in a way, if it makes her go in a good direction, what a blessing.

"Think about all the c*** she's got out of the way."

Speaking about her fashionable new look of recent years, Paltrow said: "I just got out of sweatpants, out of mummy mode.

"I love fashion, but when you're breastfeeding and you're a stone-and-a-half overweight, it's demoralising to try to wear good clothes."

She talked about criticism she received after wearing an outfit made by friend Stella McCartney.

Paltrow said: "I read something horrible about the Stella dress. But probably people don't realise, sometimes you wear a dress because your friend made it...

"I always wanna wear her stuff 'cos it's good for her, you know?"

Speaking about her relationship with the Coldplay singer, Paltrow said: "It doesn't behove us to be a public couple.

"He certainly doesn't want to be that. So it's just better if we don't - I mean, we've never ever walked down a red carpet together, we never will.

"If people think that that means we're not together, then - ha ha ha! - so be it."

:: Paltrow's full interview is in the March edition of Elle UK, out tomorrow.

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